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Friday, April 4, 2014

I wanted to do a regular series on my blog, something unique that hasn't been done before. I came up with an idea to feature small shops, that are located throughout the country. So, every Friday you can stop by and check out a new shop, and at the same time meet the owner. Today, we will be shopping at Home Sweet Home. The two owners of this shop really know a thing or two about VINTAGE GOODNESS! Susan and her mother Sharon have one charming shop, and I am tickled pink to share it with all of y'all today at SHOP TALK. After you finish drooling over all the goodies, please be sure to go by and check out Susan's blog...MUST LOVE JUNK and their facebook page for HOME SWEET HOME.

I'm so honored that Linda has asked me to be a part of her Shop Talk!
I really enjoy reading about other shops, and I'm happy to be
included in this series!

My mom and I own a little shop in Canton, Ohio called 'Home
Sweet Home.' My mom is my best friend, and we've always
dreamed of opening a shop together. (I can remember when I was
little, I'd make my younger sister play 'store' with me! Of course
I was always the bossy owner while she was the customer! :)
My grandma owned a variety of antique stores in Tennessee throughout her
life, so I guess it's in my genes!

My mom and I made our dream a reality about 8 years ago. My hubby
and I were moving back to my hometown after living about 2 1/2 hours
away the first 6 years of our marriage, so mom and I decided that this
was the perfect time to pursue our dream.

After finding what we thought was the ideal location to open our shop (a
commercial building in a nearby town) we decided to take a leap of
faith, and went in to sign the papers to lease. Imagine our utter
surprise and dismay to get there and discover that someone else was
signing the papers right then, to open a pizza place! They had just beat
us to the punch, and we left SO disappointed! (I mean, what did a pizza
place need those gorgeous store-front display windows for, anyway?)

But like so many things do, this turned out to be a blessing in
disguise!

While we were still discouraged about losing the location that we wanted
and trying to figure out where to look next, the home right next door to
my parents became available. My parents own this home as a rental, and
the renters were going to be buying their own home so they gave their
notice.

My mom had owned a clothing shop here for awhile in the 90's (hence the
awning which has since been removed) so it was already zoned for
commercial use, but we wondered how a vintage home goods store would do
in this location. It's a quaint little brick bungalow, but a bit
off the beaten path in a residential area.

After praying about it we decided to go for it! We opened the shop here,
and we've never looked back!

We knew from the start that we didn't want to be tied down to the shop
every day; we wanted to be out hunting for fabulous treasures to bring
to our customers (after all, that's half the fun!)
So on most days we are out 'junkin' for the shop, and we are only open
on Fridays and Saturdays.

We wouldn't have the luxury of having these hours if we had a big
overhead (like we would've in the original location that we wanted) so
we are blessed that my dad is a generous landlord! (As well as our
handyman! :)

We were pioneers back in the day when we started, with our unique
location and limited hours. (There was only 1 other shop-a
florist-in our area back then.) Now there are 4 other shops within
walking distance of ours with similar hours, so our little berg has
become a fun shopping destination!

When we first opened, the aesthetic inside wasn't ideal...the walls were
wallpapered and dark as you can see here, and the kitchen still had its
appliances. Also, the kitchen cupboards and ceiling had outdated
stenciling on them.

At first we worked with what we had!

Then a few years ago we gave the inside a fresh makeover. We
painted the walls a light neutral color, added some pretty light
fixtures, removed the kitchen appliances, and painted the cupboards with
chalkboard paint. It made such a difference! Now the shop is light
and bright.

Just like in my home, the shop's style has evolved over time. We
carry of mix of styles in furniture and furnishings from rustic...

...and farmhouse...

...to classic vintage...

...to industrial...

We love to bring in architectural or salvaged pieces and they usually
sell quickly...

We're lucky to have a local girl who makes wonderful candles for us.
They smell amazing, and we can barely keep them in stock!

We always enjoy decorating for the different seasons...

We also opened our Etsy shop
'must love junk' about 3 1/2 years ago. We list mostly farmhouse
and industrial style smaller items on it.

Lots of wire baskets!

My mom and I feel so blessed that we've been able to do what we love all
these years! We've met so many wonderful people and have developed
such a loyal following.

We're constantly bringing in new fun finds, and we change the shop
around every week to keep it fresh for our fantastic customers.
It's a lot of hard work, but we have so much fun with it!
And when people come in and tell us that 'Home Sweet Home' is their
favorite shop, it makes it all worth it! :)

What a great story behind Susan and her Mom's shop. When I lived in NY, there was a home shop that was a house at one time. They kept the traditional rooms and set up their items so the kitchen had kitchen décor, they did a bedroom with a bed display that had linens and pillows, etc. It was a great little shop and I was sorry to see them close.

I loved the tour through Susan and Sharon's shop! I like the idea that it's located in a home, too.I wish them great success in their venture.There shop is full of so many unique items. I just wish I lived close enough to visit!

Oh Susan, you and your Mom have such a cute shop. I so wish I lived closer, but Ohio isn't that far! Just looking at the photos I could see many items I would buy, and hubs is happy we don't live close. What a great story on how your shop became a realty.

Susan, you and your mom are beautiful! What a great picture and what a great team you make.You're right the shop thing was a blessing in disguise because how awesome is it that you have no overhead and it's so close by! I love your shop and all of the contents. :) OH yeah, I also love the chalkboard cabinets!Great Job Susan and Thanks Linda for this guest post!

It's nice that you and your mom have perused your dream together. That is the quaintest little house for a shop. I really like it! It reminds me of something you would see off mainstreet in a small country town. Love your working hours too. So nice not to have to be tied down to it all day every day.

Love your shop - it's adorable. I hope to have a shop like this in the future. These are my favorite shops. I love little bungalows and for a shop I think it is perfect - it's a little home with things for your little/big home.

LOVED hearing the story of your shop, Susan! I know lots of women dream of doing what you and your mom are doing and it was really fun to hear how it all came together for you. Such wonderful inspiration for aspiring shop owners! Thanks for sharing Susan's shop, Linda! This is a great series!

Oh Susan I love seeing all the wonderful pictures of the shop. The pic of you and your mom is gorgeous of the two of you. I see lots of treasure I would buy in that great shop. I wish I lived closer.Kris

oh wow !! what a gorgeous and amazing shop!!! I love it - I wonder if my hubby would let me fly to OH to get some treasures and visit your store! LOL I've shopped-out the state of GA -haaaaa LOVE your blog and FB too! Thank you for adding such beauty to the world ox